NORTH BERGEN, NJ – (October 12, 2016) From New Jersey to Florida, you can find numerous chapters of A. Philip Randolph Institute many of which are led by a member of the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO.

A. Philip Randolph describes its founder and mission as follows: The words and deeds of A. Philip Randolph show us the unyielding strength of his life-long struggle for full human rights for the Blacks and all the disinherited of the nation. In his cry for freedom and justice, Mr. Randolph is echoing the fury of all the enslaved. They are fighting for their freedom, with the kind of desperate strength that only deep wounds can call forth. With none of his words, however, does Mr. Randolph turn aside the help of others. But these comrades-in-arms must share the vision that has led Mr. Randolph through his long years of search for equal human rights. From the day of his arrival in Harlem in 1911, Mr. Randolph had been in the thick of the struggle for freedom for Black Americans.

ILA members holding leadership positions with the A. Philip Randolph Institute exemplifies the solidarity between the two organizations. APRI’s current president Clayola Brown and former president Norman Hill have addressed ILA quadrennial conventions going back many years.

The ILA and ACD Civil Rights Committees consistently have participated in APRI Conferences over the same period.

APRI’s mission was renewed again at the 47th A. Philip Randolph Institute National Education Conference was held in Detroit, MI from Wednesday, August 24, 2016 to Sunday, August 28, 2016 where, again, the ILA and ACD Civil Rights Committees were there in full force.

A town Hall Meeting held on Wednesday, August 24, 2016 kicked off the Detroit conference and was led by Sirius XM Talk Show Host and Civil Rights Activist, Joe “Black Eagle” Madison. Discussing “Labor Creating Change with the Ballot,” Mr. Madison’s panel included Reverend Jesse Jackson, from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

The Keynote speaker at the opening of the conference was J. David Cox, President American Federation of Government Employees. Other highlights of the conference included “The Power of the Women’s Vote,” a panel discussion led by April Ryan, White House correspondent and Author. Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America, was keynote speaker at a luncheon on Thursday, August 25, 2016. Workshops were held on civil engagement, Retirees, Social Media Messaging and Emerge America.

The Miami Dade Chapter of APRI led by Lovette McGill of ILA Local 1416 was honored as an outstanding chapter of the APRI.

A central theme of the Detroit conference was to register voters throughout the United States to boost participation in Election Day 2016.